Navigating TCF Bank Stadium for Vikes game

MINNEAPOLIS -- In just four days the Gopher's Den that is TCF Bank Stadium will be the Vikings home field, and with that come some lessons in logistics for game goers.

"The best advice I could give to people is arrive early," said University of Minnesota Communications Director Tim Busse.

For the 50,000 fans coming to Friday night's preseason game at the Bank, getting in won't be terrible if you come on the earlier side of the kickoff, but getting out is going to take some time.

"It's going to take awhile.There are only so many was out and it's a lot of people trying to get out at the same time," Busse notes.

But there is a method to it. Every parking lot will have a specific exit route designed by traffic gurus to make sure everyone gets to a highway in the most efficient way possible.

It's not to be mean and make you go a route you don't like; it's to get you out of there.

"We find if we don't give people choices, we send them in a specific place, a specific location and direction we can control the flow of traffic and of how many cars are going a specific direction," Busse said of the plans.

Another option is to take the metro transit train or a bus. The Green Line will run to TCF Bank Stadium, and there will be extras, every ten minutes pregame and every 15 minutes post game. The Northstar line will run as well.

Good advice from MetroTransit is to buy an event pass for the trains before the game so you will have a pass to board postgame and you won't have to wait in line to buy one later.